Improvement in folding tables



E. F. HER-SICK.

FOLDING TABLE.

N 133 951 Patented 0ct.31,1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN F. MERSICK, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW HAVEN FOLDING CHAIR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 83,957, dated October 31, 1876; application filed August 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. MERSICK, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Folding Tables; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure l, a perspective view; Fig. 2, an end view, and in Fig. 3 a transverse section, folded.

This invention relates to an improvement in folding furniture, specially designed as a desk or reading-table, the top of which is inclined. the object being to construct the desk so that it may be folded into a small compass when not required for use, and yet be strong and firm when set up.

The invention consists of a pair of legs, to the upper end of which a portion of the top is rigidly attached, combined with a second part of the top hinged to the first, and a second pair of legs crossing and pivoted to the first, and shorter from the pivot to the top than the first pair, so as to support the hinged portion of the top when set up, or be folded between the first pair of legs to close the table.

a a are the principal legs, to the upper end of which the portion A of the top is rigidly secured. To this part A the principal part B of the top is hinged, as at b. C are the second legs, crossing the first, and pivoted at the cross, as at d, so as to turn into a position alongside of and parallel with the legs a, which they are enabled to do, because the portion of the leg C above the pivot is shorter than the corresponding portion of the leg A; hence the leg 0 will pass beneath the top connection of the legs a, and when so turned together the part B of the top will fall upon the legs and nearly parallel thereto, as indicated in Fig. 3. This part B of the top is constructed with a stop, 0, at its front edge under side, for the legs C when the table is set up, so that the legs support the top, and this stop prevents the spreading of the legs, and the table is firm and strong.

The top is inclined so as to form a convenient writing-desk. The stationary part A may be provided with drawers or other conveniences requisite for a writing-table.

I claim- The combination, in a folding table, of one pair of legs, the part A of the top rigidly attached to the upper end of the said legs, a second pair of legs crossing the first and pivoted thereto, and shorter from the pivot to the upper end than the first pair, the part B of the top hinged to the rigid part A, and a stop in connection with the second pair oflegs to support the table when set up, all substantially as described.

ED WIN F. MERSICK.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, CLARA BROUGHTON. 

